HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR HEALTH: CURCUMIN
In Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric is often used as an anti-inflammatory and digestion regulating agent. The anti-inflammatory effect of turmeric is said to provide relief in cases of arthritis, rheumatism and inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. In 2012, curcumin was tested as a drug for arthritis for an Indian study and yielded very positive results. So you can be without worries about your health when enjoying a book of dead demo.
The same anti-inflammatory properties are also believed to be responsible for the possible anti-carcinogenic effect. The tuber specifically shows potential in colorectal cancer prevention and metastasis prevention in common cancers such as breast or prostate cancer. But curcumin has also been used in metabolic diseases such as diabetes or for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and prevention of heart attacks (University Clinic Freiburg). Most recently, turmeric has also been talked about as a natural remedy for depression. In a 2014 study, curcumin was shown to be as effective as a conventional antidepressant would have been under similar circumstances.
IS IT A MEDICAL MIRACLE?
A 4000-year-old tradition in phytomedicine and numerous studies on its efficacy: So is turmeric the miracle cure of the future against the health scourges of modern civilization? This is not quite true with the proven effectiveness. Although turmeric proved to be effective in all trials, these study results are only initial indications and not proof of a medical miracle from nature (Apotheken Umschau). Research on the effect of curcumin on cancer has been tested either in the test tube or on animals. To what extent this can be transferred to humans has yet to be tested (mt).
The study results on the subject of depression also have weak points: too small a sample, too short a duration or financed by the manufacturer of the curcuma preparation. Thus, an effect can be suspected, but it is not secured (mt). Nevertheless, it is true that the Indian spice is one of the great hopes for the future for the natural treatment of various diseases.
IS IT HEALTHY?
Regardless of its medicinal effects, curcumin is still healthy. The spice from India regulates digestion, stimulates the formation of bile and, like ginger, has an anti-inflammatory effect on arthritis and similar complaints. Spicing your food with turmeric more often is therefore certainly not a bad idea. In India, for example, where turmeric has been used for seasoning for thousands of years, the number of people suffering from colon cancer or depression is significantly lower than in the USA or Europe.
Caution is advised in only two cases: gallbladder disease and pregnant or lactating women. For pregnant women, there is still too little substantiated research to say that turmeric is safe. For gallbladder disease, the stimulation of the gallbladder by curcumin could even lead to worsening of symptoms.
THE PROPER USE
As a spice, turmeric powder is of course more suitable. But for an effect on arthritis or stomach problems, you would have to take two or three tablespoons of powder daily – no dish can contain that much. And pure turmeric powder is very dry and also tastes bitter in quantity. In addition, curcumin is poorly soluble in water. So from tea, golden milk or curry dishes, too little of the active ingredient gets into the body even when consumed daily. In this case, turmeric capsules are the solution. They contain highly concentrated curcumin in the appropriate quantity to enable an effect. In addition, the active ingredient in the capsules, which is sensitive to light and air, does not dissipate as quickly.
WHAT TO KNOW WHEN BUYING IT
The turmeric is available in our country only dried and ground as a powder or in capsule form. But the powder can be found on the spice shelves of supermarkets, health food stores, Asian stores and even in pharmacies. Turmeric capsules are available in drugstores and pharmacies. And of course, capsules and powder can also be ordered online.
